Two people have been killed and a third seriously injured when a wall collapsed on a busy Melbourne street.
A YOUNG woman was fighting for her life in hospital and two teenagers were dead after a heritage-listed brick wall collapsed on a busy city street.
The 19-year-old woman was in a critical condition after surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
And the State Coroner is investigating the deaths of the male and female teens.
A freak gust of wind caused the three-metre wall to tumble on top of them just before 3pm.
The scene in Swanston St, Carlton, was described as being like a war zone as frantic passers-by scrambled to help free the victims.
Premier Denis Napthine offered sympathy to the teenagers' families.
Emergency crews after the collapse. Picture: Mati Safi/Twitter
The historic wall was part of the former CUB brewery, opened in 1858, which building giant Grocon is developing into apartments.
The wall was in Swanston St, between Queensberry and Victoria streets.
Debris was strewn across the footpath, opposite a tram stop frequently used by students from a nearby RMIT University building.
Jonathan Lian, a university student, said the scene was "like a war zone".
Pesestrians rush to help people caught under the horror wall collapse. Picture: Jonathan Lian/Twitter
"There was a huge thunderclap. It was really, really loud, and people were rushing about in all different directions," Mr Lian said.
He said there were about three or four people near the wall when it fell.
"One guy barely got away. There was dust everywhere and they were trying to dig people out. It was chaos."
The brick wall had been reinforced by a wooden hoarding.
But the wall and the timber collapsed under strong winds that, according to the weather bureau's Melbourne weather station, peaked at 57km/h at 3pm.
CFMEU state secretary John Setka said he was among union members who helped lift a wooden hoarding off the victims.
A man and a woman were near each other.
Another woman was at a separate part of the collapsed wall, he said.
He said the CFMEU first-aid staff helped treat the survivor until ambulance officers and firefighters arrived.
The other man and woman appeared to have died instantly, he said.
An aerial shot of the Melbourne CBD wall collapse. Picture: Fred Zhang
"Maybe it was just a freak gust of wind and three poor kids happened to be there," Mr Setka said.
Swanston St resident and RMIT student Lip Hyean, 23, said: "Many students walk past this wall every day. It's a popular route."
The owner of El Pronto Cafe, Natasha Weiss, 21, was making coffee when "I saw the wall crumble like breadcrumbs from the top down, and fall on a group of people. You could see the panic on everyone's faces by the way they were throwing bricks away".
Police acting inspector Ian Lindsay said no work was going on at the building site when the wall fell.
"It's a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.
Building inspectors survey the damage at the site of the collapse. Picture: Mark Dadswell
"We're unable to identify the pedestrians at the moment and we believe strong wind gusts made the wall collapse."
Dr Napthine said: "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the deceased. Our best wishes go to the woman fighting for her life. This is a terrible tragedy."
The brewery has been vacant for more than 20 years.
Grocon is creating a $1 billion development of 1500 apartments in three high-rise towers and a major shopping precinct.
But two historic walls at the brewery, which closed in 1987, were protected under heritage rules and so were being incorporated into the development.
Grocon deputy chief Carolyn Viney said it would run its own investigation.
"We extend our sympathies to the families of those killed and to the person injured, and we also thank those who worked at the scene to assist in trying to rescue them," she said.
"This is a terrible tragedy for all concerned."
RMIT said in a tweet: "Our hearts go out to the victims of the wall collapse in Swanston St at the Grocon site."
The university said counselling would be offered to students if they required help.
WorkSafe was investigating the accident.
stephen.drill@news.com.au
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